June 9 Swedish Armwrestling Federation voted for withdraw its membership in World Armwrestling Federation and European Armwrestling Federation. This information was shared by its President, Anders Axklo:
"The Swedish Armwrestling Federation has in an extra congress on 09-06-2019 voted to terminate its membership and withdraw from The World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) and its continental subsidary The European Armwrestling Federation (EAF).
The decision is made as a result of that a longstanding lack of transparency in in management and the decision making process now has culminated in a questionable managements attempt to limit the free right of athletes and officials to practice their sport.
As a result, The Swedish Armwrestling Federation withdraw its recognition of WAF as the world governing body of armwrestling.
The elected leadership of the Swedish Armwrestling Federation will now seek and support the forming of a new, free and democratic international movement that secures athletes the right to freely practice their sport according to values guiding the Swedish sports movement.
The Swedish Armwrestling Federation is an independent part of the Swedish Martial Arts Federation, and are fully recognized by the Swedish National Sport Federation, meaning among other things that the Federation is fully WADA-compliant, in words and in action".
Commenting the situation, Anders Axklo noted that the decision was not unanimous but with more than two thirds majority: "Some of our clubs wanted to wait and further investigate the matter. There has been an open discussion. The sportsmen are the ones who made it. Each club have a a discussion and process with their members, resulting in this vote. The triggering reason was that what was earlier just words at the European championships to concrete form in actually excluding athletes and officials".